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[Display omitted] • A Zn2+ selective turn-on optical sensor (DIH) with ESIPT process was reported. • DIH showed high selectivity and sensitivity Zn2+ over other metal ions tested. • The detection mechanism was elucidated by ESI–MS, NMR and DFT calculations. • The sensor is suitable for imaging Zn2+ in living cells. Zinc ions (Zn2+) play a significant role in our daily lives and production, which is related to human health and environment protection. Therefore, it is crucial in this field to develop sensors with improved analyte selectivity and sensitivity. We prepared a fluorescent sensor, DIH, through the reaction of 5-(tert -butyl)-2-hydroxyisophthalaldehyde with isonicotinohydrazide. DIH, in free form, can undergo excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process upon excitation. Among a wide range of metal ions tested, only Zn2+ inhibited this ESIPT process, resulting in an increase in fluorescence intensity (13.3-fold) with chelation enhancement fluorescence process (CHEF). The complex (DIH/Zn2+) stoichiometry was determined to be 1:1 and the binding constant of the complex was estimated as 3.18 × 107 M−1. DIH could also be applied to detect zinc ions down to a low concentration level of 11.2 nanomolar with fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, the cytotoxicity evaluation of DIH against human colon adenocarcinoma cells lines demonstrated that the sensor was nontoxic and could be used successfully in cellular imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]